


The Rabbit Hole

by Half_of_my_soul



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:15:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26561986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Half_of_my_soul/pseuds/Half_of_my_soul
Summary: Tony has kept Isabella Swan a secret since the day she was born. Someone has now threatened that peace in his life. As Loki wreaks havoc on Earth, Tony has to keep the number one thing important to him safe. He didn't think it included a vampire or a god.
Relationships: Bella Swan/Thor (Marvel), Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11





	1. The Meaning of a Name

**Chapter 1: The Meaning of a Name**

Bella Swan was tired. Tired of everything. Tired of loving and getting nothing in return. Tired of almost dying at the hands of what she thought was her forever. As she listened to Edward spout off his usual self-pity bullshit, all she could do was sigh. She bowed her head, letting out a humorless laugh. Edward stopped speaking, tilting his head confused. "I don't find this the least bit funny." He snapped, his brows lowering as he gazed upon her, sure Bella must have hit her head during the party.

Bella's shoulders were full-on shaking with laughter now, holding her stomach as she bent over gasping for breath. She held up a hand in Edward's direction as he tried to get a word in. "You know what? Go! To hell with you! I always knew I was never good enough, so this is no surprise to me." She cleared her throat, looking upon Edward with her most serious expression. "I'm no good for you Bella! I could hurt you Bella! You're so fragile..." She scoffed, hoping she offended him with her horrible impersonation. "I don't need you," She said, holding her head high; glaring at him. She didn't know where all of this was coming from, but right now, Bella was numb.

Edward could only stare at her with his mouth agape like a fish out of water, his frozen golden eyes eyeing her in disbelief. "Well...you were leaving weren't you?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry..." He whispered before disappearing. Bella rolled her eyes, sighing heavily as the weight of it all started to crash down on her. She turned around heading towards home, wanting to curl against her father and let out a good cry while Charlie gave her his 'I told you so' look.

The sky was slowly starting to turn grey, clouds rolling in, thunder booming in the distance. She followed the path out of the woods, coming upon the side of her house. She froze as she saw men coming out of a black van dressed in all black with large guns in their hands. She slowly sped towards the side of her house, her eyes widening in terror as she peaked through the side window. The men burst through the door, the large crash making Bella jump in fright, her eyes shooting to Charlie who stood from his spot on the couch in shock. "Charlie Swan?!" One of them yelled, pointing to Charlie. All of the men were dressed in black suits, nothing but their eyes visible. Bella covered her mouth in fear, blinking as one of them held up a gun, aiming it directly at him. "Where's the girl?" One of them demanded, pushing Charlie into his recliner, the barrel of the gun now at his chest.

"You'll never find her..." Bella gasped as the man socked Charlie in the gut. Charlie barely flinched, his mustache twitching. Where Bella was standing, she could see Charlie plain as day. She held her hand to the glass as they made eye contact, her eyes going to his hand, watching for any kind of sign. At a young age, Bella was taught a secret code that only she and Charlie had come up with if anything were to ever happen. His finger only twitched once, his eyes blinking twice, and Bella knew that things were about to change for the worst.

"Fuck you. You'll never get anything out of me..." The man nodded to Charlie once, a loud gunshot ringing out into the eerily silent night. Tears ran down Bella's face as Charlie was shot in the chest, dying instantly. She quickly moved away from the window, slowly backing up into the trees once more, hiding in the shadows. She climbed a nearby tree, silent as ever as the mean searched her backyard, even the perimeter of the woods. "She's not here! Everyone head out. Let the boss know the parents have been terminated."

Bella held back a sob at that statement, her shoulders shaking in grief, yet she was quiet as a leaf until all was quiet. She slowly climbed down, and after checking if everything was clear, she ran back home, bursting through the back door. She immediately ran through the kitchen and towards Charlie, her heartbreaking even more as she realized that he was still alive, barely, but alive.

"Daddy..." She whimpered, grasping his hand. Charlie closed his eyes in relief. "I'm so sorry." He rasped, blood slightly covering his bottom lip. Bella shook her head frantically, swallowing the lump in her throat. "No... no... just hang on, I'll...you..." Bella burst into tears, unable to find the words to say, squeezing his hand tightly. Charlie patted her hand, smiling weakly. "It's too late...I don't have much time...I did all that I could, and I want you to know that I love you. I've always loved you like my own." Bella frowned, wondering what Charlie was talking about. "Dad..." She started, closing her mouth as he rested his hand over her hand. "Just listen...next door, there is a black car, just tell Mr. Jacobson that it is time. He will know what you mean. You are going to get in that car and drive down to the airport, but don't get on a plane...you understand?"

Bella nodded frantically. "You will then see a man dressed in all white holding up a sign with the name Stark on it. He's only going to hold that name up for a second, so you better pay attention. You get in that car; the man will drive you to an airport an hour out...he'll escort you on the earliest flight to New York City. Do not ask any questions and talk to no one. He will have everything you need. Tony Stark is the man you are looking for, and don't you stop. Not once do you stop until you are in his possession. Do we understand each other?" Bella's lip quivered as she tried to grasp what was going on. She let out a sad whimper, tears falling onto their joined hands. "It's time to be strong." Charlie's grasp became weak as he leaned up to kiss Bella's forehead. Bella's breath hitched as his grip completely loosened, his brown eyes no longer seeing her.

Bella sat there for a long moment, her body shaking as she held her father close to her. She used her fingers to close his eyes, her hands shaking. Without a care in the world that blood was all over her hands and shirt, she exited through the back door, making her way around towards the front of Mr. Jacobson. Bella had only ever met the man twice when she was a little girl. He was nice as far as she could tell. He never married, but also never seemed interested in women or anything for that matter. She frantically rang the doorbell, stopping short as the door was already opening, Mr. Jacobson standing before her with red-stained eyes.

"It's..." Bella's voice quivered as she looked upon him, her hands still raised towards the doorbell. He nodded, pulling her into his home and shutting the door quickly, taking a glance out of his window. He pulled Bella by the arm, walking her towards his garage. "What's happening?" She asked, looking at him as he gave her a set of keys. He did not say anything as he flicked on the light, the only car in the garage was a black one like Charlie said. "Charlie said no questions. It's got a full tank." He opened the car door for her ushering her inside. Bella closed the door, starting the car, rolling down the window. Mr. Jacobson gave her a nod, looking to her with serious eyes. His eyes were a deep emerald green, the emotions frozen in his eyes.

"Stick to the back roads. Drive like a bat out of hell because there are people on your ass. He truly did love you...now go!" He patted the hood of the car, pointing towards the driveway as he hit the switch. Bella did as told, the tires screeching as she peeled out of the driveway.

Bella's heart raced as she drove through the back streets, her tears blurring her vision off and on. She took deep breaths, running through everything that Charlie said. Who were those men? Who was Tony Stark? Why would Charlie say he loved her like his own? Bella's chest ached as she drove, her eyes frantically watching for anything out of the ordinary. She made it to the airport in record time, hoping she saw this man Charlie spoke of. She left the car running, hopping out of the car. She started to look for a man that would most likely stand out in a crowd such as this. She was unaware that someone had just slipped into the car, cleaning the seats and wiping down the steering wheel. She caught a glimpse of white, the name Stark flashing briefly before it was gone. She raced through the crowd, coming upon a tall man with short black hair, a look of urgency about his face.

He stared at her as she walked forward, opening the door for her. She slid in, the door closing behind her before the man got into the front seat, taking off before she could even get her seatbelt on. "Here's a jacket miss. I'm sorry that I did not bring you proper clothes. Here are the things your father requested you have." He handed her a brown jacket to which she put on. He handed her a passport and an ID that had the name Isabella Marie Stark.

"I'd also advise you to put your hair up. For now. You'll be much safer in New York City, but until then, get some rest." Bella couldn't help but lean her head back, closing her eyes until all she saw was darkness. She was soon awoken by the driver, his hand out for hers to take as he held the door open. "We must not waste time. Let's go." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pushing the hood on her head, hiding her face as they walked through the airport. Bella went along with it, listening as he was able to get her on the airplane first before anyone else. He sat her down in a small room that had a bed and a mini-fridge. He smiled warmly at her, lifting her chin with his finger. "May you reach the end of your journey Miss." He bowed before leaving, leaving Bella alone, her mind racing a mile a minute. She took off the jacket, frowning as an envelope fell from her pocket. She picked it up, frowning at Charlie's handwriting. Her hands shook as she opened it, a piece of paper was all that it contained, as well as a small locket.

"Dear Bella..." She whispered...

* * *

Tony was currently in a meeting with Fury and the rest of the merry band of superheroes he disliked with a passion, discussing this so-called God of Thunder and his brother. "We need that Tesseract." Fury stated, looking upon them all. "How do we get it? Loki has people all over working for him, not to mention Clint." Romanoff answered, looking around the table in thought. "Sir..." Tony perked up at Jarvis's voice, wondering what he would interrupt about. "Can you please turn him off?" Steve asked in annoyance. Tony gave him a dirty look before clapping his hands. "Yes J?" Tony rose to his feet happy for a break. "I apologize to tell you this, but the sealed file on Isabella Swan? It's been compromised." Tony's smile dropped, freezing on the spot. Everyone watched in concern, never once seeing the billionaire playboy freeze up the way he has.

Tony grabbed his coat, heading towards his garage. "Who?" He demanded, putting in the code, uncaring that a few of the team had followed him down. "That is unknown sir," Jarvis answered. "Who is this Isabella Swan?" Fury asked, looking to Tony as he started pulling up files on his computer. Tony stopped momentarily as he opened a folder, no information on it whatsoever. "My daughter," Tony replied, biting his nail as he started searching through worldwide cameras. "I wasn't aware you had one." Fury stated, crossing his arms. Tony didn't even look at him as he started moving pictures out of the way. "You weren't supposed to. No one was. Jarvis, get the car started up, I need Happy." Tony pushed past Fury and Banner, glaring as Fury grabbed his arm. "We've got more important things than a father-daughter reunion." Tony shrugged out of his hold, menacingly stalking towards Fury. "No. We don't. She didn't even know I existed till now, which means somebody found a way inside my security system and has put her life in danger. Because of me. Most likely the parents I entrusted with her safety are dead. Now if you'll excuse me." He sneered, walking away before anything could be said.

* * *

Bella looked around the bustling airport in fright, nervously looking around unsure of what to do next. She swallowed as she started heading for the double doors, looking around frantically. "Bella Swan?" Someone called, and Bella made the mistake of turning around to see a tall man dressed in black pants, shoes, and a black turtleneck heading towards her with a walkie-talkie. Her eyes widened as she saw the gun on his hip, and she turned back around, making a run for the doors, only to stop short as there were so many people. She started making her way through the crowd, aware that the man was now chasing her, shouting for her to stop. She kept on running, finding herself in a less busy section, all the more trouble for her. She looked behind her as the man now had his gun drawn, gunshots ringing out as he shot at her. Bella screamed, turning down the street, only to slow down in fright as a bolt of lightning came from the sky landing in front of her. She wasn't fast enough though as she ran right into a large man made of bricks.

He looked down at her, catching her as she rocked backward. Her eyes were wide with fear as she stared upon him. "What have you in such a fright?" He demanded, hoping his brother wasn't causing this much damage as to scare a woman such as she. Bella couldn't even speak as she stared upon him. She turned around in fear as the man finally rounded the corner his gun aimed. "You're a hard bitch to catch. I'm just happy I found you before Daddy did." Bella cringed as he cocked the gun, the large man quickly holding up his hammer as a bullet wheezed past, ricocheting off and taking out a streetlamp. Bella gripped the man's arm in fright as cars suddenly filed the area, surrounding them.

The man looked down at the woman who clung to him in fear, his arm wrapping around her waist in a tight hold before he looked up at the sky. "Up we go." He warned before disappearing in a cloud of thunder and lightning. The man who was chasing Bella growled, marching over towards a van. "Follow the lightening!"

* * *

Thor landed in front of Stark tower, knowing this was the man he had a row with just hours ago. He didn't know anywhere else to go, and the woman in his hold had passed out cold from the shock he assumed. Tony had just walked out of the house, yelling at Happy in frustration. "What part of emergency don't you...what the hell?" He looked towards Thor, eyeing the woman he had in his arms. He looked down at the picture in his hand, partly able to see her face. Tony rushed forward, looking to Thor in confusion. "Why do you have her?" He asked, ushering for Thor to follow him inside. Thor followed, frowning. "I was looking for Loki once again. I appeared right in her path. A man was trying to kill her. You know this woman?" He asked, laying her on the couch. Tony didn't say anything, dropping to his knees, lifting a hand to her face. "Yes. what did this man look like?"


	2. Chapter 2: Upside Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to take place during Avengers, but I am merging Iron Man 2 themes within. So technically Iron Man 2 hasn't happened if that makes sense.

Tony pushed all of his papers and the little things he was tinkering with off his work table and on the floor, growling in frustration. Metal clanged against the tile floor as he stared upon the cameras in frustration. Fury looked on from the outside, watching the man break. He turned his eyes towards Pepper who was watching him with pity. "I knew. You have to understand that Tony isn't going to let this go. He's not going to be able to focus on saving the world and trying to save his daughter. Tony has had that file sealed for 18 years, updating is as time went on, keeping tabs, watching her grow via pictures. Now somebody has hacked into Tony Stark's data. Do you realize what other information he or she has? On everyone here? I'll do what I can, but I won't make promises. Tony's world, his Earth, is passed out cold on a couch." She walked into Tony's garage without another word, and Fury sighed, his hand raking over his face.

He pushed open the garage door, looking upon Tony and Pepper. "What do you need?" Fury asked, coming to look at the screen. It was a video of Bella at the airport, the cameras following along up until the point where Thor whisked off with her. Tony paused the frame, pointing to the man in the turtle neck. Tony looked at Fury, rage in his eyes. "I want to know who the fuck that is...He's in no American database, nothing on him, or the vans. They don't exist... I want to know why that is." Fury nodded before turning to walk out, his leather blazer flapping behind him. "I'm on it Stark. You help me, I help you!" Pepper leaned against Tony, looking at Bella through the monitor with sadness in her eyes. "She's safe now Tony." She whispered. Tony shook his head, running a hand over his face. "This was never supposed to happen." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Sir. A video just came in, marked as urgent. I believe the parents of Miss Swan were slain.." The two of them cut their eyes to the screen, Tony watching everything that took place. "Where is this video feed coming from?" He questioned, initiating Jarvis to start his search.

* * *

Thor was standing off to the side, waiting on word from Fury about the next move. He cut his eyes towards the sleeping brunette, watching her in curiosity. He realized he could have killed her if she was standing an inch closer to the left. He tilted his head about as she made some sort of sound in her sleep, her hand curling around the pillow tightly. Thor walked forward, unsure of what he should do. A slight sheen of sweat started to cover her forehead as she whimpered, her brows lowering. She flinched in her sleep, turning her body, and if it weren't for Thor she'd have fallen on the floor. She jolted awake in his hold, groggily taking in what was happening. Thor braced her back on the couch, staring at her blood-stained clothes in alarm. "Are you hurt?" He asked, checking her for injuries, wondering where all the blood came from.

Bella shook her head, shuddering at the thought. "I'm fine. Where are we? Who...what are you?" She looked around the large room in wonder, taking in the city lights from the massive window. "I am Thor. Prince of Asgard. God of Thunder." Bella just glanced at him, taking in his attire. "Of course...Superheroes..." She whispered.

"Where is Tony Stark?" She asked, looking towards Thor. She stood, heading towards the window, looking out at the bustling city. Thor pointed towards the stairs, tilting his head at her once more. "The man of Iron is down there. Shall I retrieve him for you?" Bella swallowed, shaking her head. "That won't be necessary." A voice stated, and Bella looked over towards who she assumed was Tony. Bella could see the resemblance almost immediately, his brown eyes mirroring hers.

The blonde behind him gave her a warm smile, stopping beside Thor. Bella gave her a wobbly one in return, her eyes once again glued towards Tony.

Tony didn't know what to say, staring his flesh and blood in the face. She looked just like him. Tony stuck with the only thing he could do. Bella's eyes widened in surprise as Tony drew her into his arms. Bella could only blink back tears as she hesitantly wrapped her arms around his back.

"I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen." He whispered in her ear, holding her tightly as her knees buckled, her eyes screwed shut. She sniffled, letting Tony lead her to the couch, sitting down beside her. "Was it all a lie?" She asked, looking at him with pinkish eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek.

Tony shook his head, wiping the tears away, never once in a million years did he think he'd ever have this conversation. "No not all of it. Charlie and Renee loved you. That's why I gave you to them. I was just 24, young, and it's not that I didn't want you, I just didn't know how to be a father. I'd fuck you up, kid. I wanted you to have better than what I had. Your birth mother wanted you aborted, and I'm sorry but that's the truth. Charlie and Renee were young just like me and couldn't have kids. They'd love you. My life wasn't as hectic as it was now, but once I realized I had enemies, I put a lockdown on you. Charlie and Renee decided to keep in contact with me afterward, sending me pictures and videos of you growing up. I watched everything they sent me every day, looked at it a million times. I did what I thought was best. It was for a while.."

Bella held the locket between her fingers, frowning. "Who were those men?" She asked, her eyes meeting his. Tony pursed his lips, his most twitching is anger. "I don't know, but I'm working on it. I'll keep you safe...I'm all you have."

Bella stared at the glowing circle under his shirt, brow crinkling in confusion. "The only thing keeping me alive," Tony stated, knocking on it was his dominant hand. Bella's brows shot up at the sound of metal. "Does it hurt?" She asked, wanting to run her hand touch it, but decided against it. Despite this man being her father, she didn't know what to think at this very moment. Tony just gave her a chuckle.

"Let's get you set up. Anything you want is yours. You don't have to ask. I know this is going to be difficult, but we're family." Tony sighed sadly at the look in her eyes, lifted her chin with his finger, meeting her eyes. "There wasn't a day that went by that I did not think about you. Every part of my life is out there for the world to know, and for 18 years you were all I had to myself. You're a Stark. We can get through anything, and look good while doing it." He smiled slightly as her lips turned up briefly. "There ya go."

Pepper watched with tears in her eyes as Bella and Tony walked into the elevator. "I wish to find these men who mean her harm," Thor stated, crossing his arms over his chest. Pepper looked up at him in confusion before nodding. "What about Loki?" She asked. Thor looked down at her, his baby blue eyes piercing hers.

"Oh, I am not done with my brother. He's as what you midguardians say, an idiot. A fool my brother is. Do not worry. I will find him in due time and take him back to Asguard." Thor bowed down slightly in respect, watching the elevator doors close.

* * *

"What exactly is he doing sleeping on my couch?" Tony asked, glancing up from his work. Pepper shrugged making her way over to him. "I think he wants to help her." Tony raised a brow. "What, a God has a crush on my daughter? How _fantastic_." Pepper softly laughed shaking her head. "I don't know about that, but it's the hero complex thing. He did save her life. I've got to admit, she's a looker, Tony." Tony smirked. "Well, she takes after her father." Tony then frowned, his mind going to the sweet parents Bella had as a child. "It'll work itself out," Pepper whispered, running a hand along his shoulder.

Tony leaned his head against her shoulder, his mind wandering to Renee. "Jarvis, pull up everything you can on Renee Dwyer." Jarvis went to work, and Pepper finally got Tony to sleep...at least for a little while. You could say that the Stark's had a way with nightmares. Bella laid in the bed, tossing and turning, her mind tormenting her with the gruesome images of what could have happened to Renee. She kept reliving the same scene over and over in her head, the loud sound of the gun going off, and Charlie's face as he was shot in the chest, except this time, Bella couldn't get to him in time. Her dream would become a twisted nightmare as the man in the black turtleneck would chase her through the woods, shooting her dead where she stood, her body lifelessly laying on the ground.

Tony faired no better, his mind too making up for the lost time in heinous ways. Bella was his number one blessing, and in one night, he was so close to losing her altogether. Pepper could only hope something went right for once in his life since becoming Iron Man. The life of a superhero was never easy.

* * *

"Do midguardian women enjoy flowers?" Thor's question threw Tony off, making him tilt his head in response. At his look of confusion, Thor elaborated. "The woman upstairs. I wish to cheer her up. I have nothing better to do, and Loki is somehow hiding from me." Tony drowned the shake he had, letting out a sigh. "Most women do. I'll admit, I don't know if she likes flowers. I've never met a woman who doesn't. Her name is Isabella by the way, although she apparently goes by Bella."

"Isabella. That means beautiful does it not?" Tony nodded, glancing at Thor in suspicion. "Mhmm. I already don't like you, please don't make me hate you." Tony started to make his way down to the garage before stopping. "A Gillyflower is what you're looking for.." Tony disappeared around the corner, his voice carrying, "There's a flower shop on 6th Ave. I'm not taking you there so good luck!"

That morning, Bella found herself all types of turned around, and as she entered the elevator, a voice made her jump. "Good morning Ms. Swan. Mr. Stark is in the garage. Would you like some coffee?" Bella looked at the corner of the elevator as if she'd see a camera or microphone of some sort. "My mane is Jarvis. An Artificial Intelligence System. I am here to help with anything you need." It responded. "Um, no thank you." Bella found this place to be something out of a sci-fi movie. The doors opened on both sides of her, and Bella glanced at each side, trying to familiarize herself with her surroundings. "Miss Bella." Thor's voice from behind made Bella jump once again, and she turned, smiling gratefully. "Thor." She stepped out of the elevator, blushing slightly as Thor placed a single flower in her hand. She looked to him with questions in her eyes, smiling as he seemed to try to find the words. "I'm not used to speaking to humans, but I thought this flower would bring a smile upon your face. I wish to help you with your problem. I know what it is like to be in a place that you aren't accustomed to." He offered his arm, walking Bella towards the garage.

"You're very kind Thor. So I'm assuming you're not from Earth." She states, watching her feet as she walked down the steps. "No, I am from Asgard. One of the 9 realms in this galaxy. The first time I was sent to Earth was by my father as punishment to understand the values of life and humility. I lost all my powers, and feel in love with a midguardian woman by the name of Jane, and through her, I learned what it meant to appreciate life, honor, and I understood myself a bit better. I eventually got my powers back to defeat my brother Loki. He is once again raising hell on this place." Bella could see the stress on his face and felt bad for the man. She couldn't believe this other world existed. She thought the world of vampires was interesting. Her birth father is a genius and a superhero, there is a different world within the galaxy, and gods apparently exist. Peachy.

Bella raised her hand to knock on the glass window, pausing in her tracks. It was uncanny to her. She wondered what her mother looked like. Tony glanced up at her from the file he was viewing, waving her in. Bella noticed the little keypad, looking to Tony. "It's your birthday," Jarvis spoke, the month, day, and year flashing briefly before the door opened. Bella walked inside, her eyes widening at the different suits and cars along the walls. "Holy shit.." She whispered, looking at the hologram Tony was standing in front of. Thor followed behind curiously, trying not to step on anything of importance. "Hey. How'd you sleep? I see Point Break has found you." Bella snorted looking to Thor. "I slept..okay... and yes. What's that?" She asked, pointing upon the folder, walking around the table to get a good look at it. Tony watched her expression closely, her eyes wandering over the photos and videos.

"You weren't kidding..." She murmured, her hand reaching out as if she could actually touch the images. She pulled her hand back as the video seemed to play. "I remember this. Mom thought I'd be good at ballet..." She frowned then, looking to Tony. He was as quiet as can be, no judgment in his eyes, or anything of the sort. "She was your mother Bella, I made my decision a long time ago. They were better parents than I could have been. Ever. They sent me everything. They tried to stay together for you, for me, but it didn't end up that way. I was worried about how that would affect you as a child." Bella swallowed the lump in her throat nodding. "Would I have ever known about you if it weren't for what happened?" Tony cleared his throat, looking down at the floor. "No." He admitted, closing his eyes. "I didn't want my life to mingle with yours. I wanted you to be happy. When I learned of the threat in my company, I called both Charlie and Renee and gave them preventive measures, that if anything happened to me, you were to know the truth if the situation presented itself. You just wouldn't have heard it from me. They both decided to tell you about me if something happened to them, I never knew about that until just last night...I don't know if you want to see the details.." His expression turned grim, looking to Bella for her decision.

She sucked in a breath nodding to Tony. He flicked his wrist, the folder moving out of the way, a video of a very distraught looking Renee on screen. Bella let out a shaky breath, looking away for a moment before turning her attention back to the screen.

_Mr. Stark. Tony, I guess. I think it's time. Over the years, Charlie and I have prepared a plan for Bella to find you if anything was to ever happen to us. There have been strange men hanging about, some have even approached me at the store. This was just last week. I've already been in touch with Charlie, and he is making arrangements that if anything happens, Bella is safe. If you're watching this, then I am dead, and that means Charlie is too. If my prayers are answered, I can only assume Bella is with you._

_Hey honey. I just want you to know that you were our greatest gift, and there is nothing I can say or do to repay Tony. He's a nice man and will lead you to great things. Never stop being you. We loved you, and we always will. You'll always be my daughter. I did what I had to for the safety of you._

_Now, Tony, I don't know anything about these men, but they know a lot about you and us. I can't find much about them or who they work for. I have seen a briefcase with them, it said HAMMER on the side. That's all I can say. I-"_

Bella's eyes widened at the figure that was creeping behind her, her hand reaching out to grasp on to something. Thor's arm was at her disposal, and she wrapped her hand around it, squeezing with all her might. Her mind was in shock as she watched Renee struggle, fighting with all she had before the man put a gun to her temple, making her freeze. "Where's the meeting point?" Renee shook her head, her body instantly going limp, blood covering everything within the vicinity of her body. Bella looked away, her eyes screwed shut. "Who is he?" Thor asked, his focus dancing between Bella and the man on the screen. "My step-dad," Bella whispered, finding a trash can to throw up in.

"Phil Dwyer?" Tony asked, already searching for his name. Bella nodded, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. Tony pulled up a picture, but to his surprise, a different picture showed up. Bella gasped, the word DECEASED showing up next to STATUS. "Phil Dawyer has been dead for 20 years. Whoever that man is, is _not_ Phil..."


	3. Spotlight

After learning that Phil wasn't who he said he was, Tony kept coming up blank. Which should have been impossible, but that just meant that someone smart enough could block Tony. It was frustrating, and Bella wasn't fairing any better. She basically let an imposter into her home who killed her mother. Thor on the other hand was divided. He was still very aware of his mission and hoped to convince Loki to drop this insane plan. Tony was starting to get a headache and decided that he needed some fresh air. There were no leads on these strange men, nor has Fury exactly located Loki and Clint.

Tony came from the garage, Bella's laugher carrying from above, Thor's booming voice following after. Tony knew he couldn't go all father on her, but it didn't erase his fatherly instincts. He couldn't help but smile though as he made his way into his living room of sorts. Bella actually had a truly genuine smile on her face as Thor was telling one his battle stories; while Tony would never admit it, it made his heart swell. At least one of them was having a good time. He cleared his throat softly, causing the two to look towards him. "Hey." She greeted, a small smile on her face. Tony sucked in a breath, unsure if he was even ready for what he was about to ask. Tony laid his blazer on the back of the couch, fiddling with it for just a second before running a hand through his hair. "Did you want to go get lunch? I'd love to get to know about you…you know, from you,"

Bella's brows shot up in surprise, and at first, she didn't say anything except stare at him. Tony taking her silence as too soon, grabbed his blazer, nodding in understanding. "It's okay if you don't want to. I know this is all sudden..." Bella fumbled her way off the couch causing Tony to snort. "I don't know where the hell you got that balance," Bella looked down at her feet snorting in laughter. "Me neither, but I'd love to! What about the cameras? Um, do you want people..to..?" She asked shyly. Tony laughed softly, looking to Thor. "Isn't she a hoot?" He turned his attention back to Bella, casually throwing an arm across her shoulders, leading her towards the elevator. "You're not camera-shy, are you? Besides, to hell with the reporters."

Tony decided to take Bella to a shawarma restaurant down the street, deciding that they would walk. He didn't really have the patience for a cluster of reporters and cameras. Happy was right behind them, his face blank of any and all emotion, standing close by if needed. Bella had to smile though, finding joy in watching fans ask for a picture, or little kids asking for an autograph. "They love you." She murmured, shooting him a smile. Tony nodded, ushering her into the small place, heading towards his favorite booth. "What's not to love?" He chuckled, sitting across from her. Happy sat as a table not too far away, his attention solely focused on the two of them.

Bella quietly thanked the waitress as she set down two menus before walking away. "What is this place exactly?" Bella asked, glancing at the food in question. Tony shrugged, pointing to a picture of one of his favorites. "Not sure, just food on a cone. I usually go for this one here. Tastes pretty good actually. Different." Bella stared at it in hesitance before agreeing to try whatever Tony liked. As they put in their order, Tony leaned back into the seat trying to figure out where to start. "Were you happy?" He asked, gesturing towards her. Bella immediately nodded. "Of course. It was a bit difficult though when they split, but I enjoyed my time with each of them when the opportunity arose, especially with Charlie." Tony smiled a little, crossing his arms. "You don't have to say his name on the account of me." Bella shook her head in disagreement, looking around for a moment before turning her attention back to Tony. "I never really said dad a lot really..." She admitted biting her lip in thought.

"Well, what's the rundown?" Tony asked, situating himself as he prepared to listen to Bella's life from the eyes of her own. He listened, knowing all of these details of course, but finding it entertaining as she expressed her delight in seeing Charlie in the summer, as well as her dislike of all the things Renee tried and failed. His interest was peaked when she started talking about high school, her friends, the lustful boys, and then there was Edward.

Tony could immediately tell that something drastic happened between the two. As she explained their relationship, Ton knew she was leaving something out. Bella was not a good liar to begin with, but Tony could tell by the look in her eyes and the way she seemed to cave in on herself that something was missing. He wasn't going to push her, but he would find out.

"What do you plan to do about school?" Tony asked, nodding in thanks as their food came. Bella stared it with apprehension, before looking to Tony. "Um, I actually forgot about it. Everything happened so fast. I could transfer?" She questioned. Tony was already looking into her school records, noticing she had high test scores, higher than any in the school, and her GPA was at a 4.0 already. "Actually, you don't have to." He stated, shooting her a smile as she bit into her food. "Wow! This is very good," She mumbled, digging in for more.

"Glad you like it. Did you know you're at the top of your class? You can test out if you wanted to." Bella's brows shot up at that, unaware that she was doing so well. When Edward came into her life, she thought she was slacking a bit, but apparently not. "Seriously?" She asked, wiping her mouth with a napkin. Tony nodded taking a sip of his water. "You're smart kid, and I can't even take the credit. They raised you well. What do you say? I can give you a job as a secretary or something until you find what you want to do." Bella hummed in thought at that looking to Tony curiously. "Well, what do you do, besides being Iron Man?" Tony raised a brow at this.

At his look, Bella cleared her throat. "Well, who knows, maybe I could learn what you do, help out. No offense but a desk job is boring," Tony had to smirk at that.

* * *

"Pepper Potts. CEO of Stark Industries," Bella smiled shaking Pepper's hand. "It's nice to uh officially meet you," She greeted. Pepper couldn't help herself as she brought Bella into a hug. "We're practically family," Bella welcomed the hug with ease, sighing. From there, Pepper showed Bella around, explaining a few of her daily duties. "How did you become CEO?" Bella curiously asked. Pepper stopped what she was doing, a frown on her face. "Well, technically, Tony was, um is, dying. He handed the position over to me. But this was only temporary. You see, while Tony never expected you to be in his life, he was going to have everything go to you. One day you would get a letter, or a phone call, I mean he wanted you to live life as you did, but he was unsure if you'd ever find out the truth. You would've been set for life,"

Bella frowned. Pepper's eyes widened slightly, hand going to her heart. "He didn't tell you yet, did he?" Bella shook her head, scrubbing a hand down her face. "No. I uh, can I take a look at what's keeping him alive?" Pepper paused before nodding. "Sure," She led Bella into Tony's office.

Bella gawked at the office, shaking her head for the moment. She looked around, following Pepper over to a desk. She pulled out a few folders, glancing at Bella. "These are all copies of the arc reactor. The big one, the small one, the other small one, it's a lot, but here. Tony has the original back at home. Do you think you'll find something he missed?" Bella glanced at Pepper, shrugging. "I don't know, but I don't want to lose my father after I just found him. I'll find something,"

Pepper cut on the tv, and Bella spread the files out. "What's this?" She pointed to what looked like a city. Pepper peered over, humming. "Not sure exactly, Tony would know," Bella nodded, grabbing all the folders. She noticed a covered piece of something but followed after Pepper. "Oh, hold on," Pepper went back into the room, grabbing the tv remote. Pepper's shriek made Bella pause. "Oh my god," Bella went back into the office, turning to the tv, her eyes widening. "Does he, does he normally do this?" Pepper shook her hand back and forth. "Just recently,"

Pepper turned off the tv, pulling out her cell phone. "Let's go Bella," Bella followed after the woman at a fast pace, the two heading out of the double doors. Lights flashed in her face, causing her to drop some of the folders. She bends down to pick them up, a hand helping her. She glanced up, looking at a red head. She nodded at her, and Happy ushered them into the car.

"Drop Bella off at the house, we're going to the racetrack," Pepper ordered, and Bella complied, as there would be no way to help Tony. Yet. Happy looked to her in the rearview, and Bella nodded. "She's right. There's nothing I can do here. I'm going to take a look at some of his files," The redhead raised a brow. "No one can understand Stark's work," At Bella's confused glance, the redhead stuck out her hand. "Natasha, secretary for your father," Bella hummed, shaking her hand. "Bella, um, Tony Stark's…daughter," Natasha nodded, "I know," The car descended into silence besides Pepper's frustrated calls to Tony's voicemail. Happy pulled up to Stark Tower, and Natasha led her out of the car. She leaned back in the window, "Do you need me?" Pepper bit her lip. "Is Thor here?" Furrowing her brow, Natasha looked around, peering through the glass doors. She spotted him sitting on the couch. "He's here, why is that exactly? Thought he was looking for Loki," Pepper leaned her head out of the window, glancing around as well. "He is, um stay here, I can handle Tony," With that, the car sped off down the street, and Bella watched as it disappeared around the corner.

"I'll be in the garage if anyone needs me," Natasha watched her head inside, following behind once Bella ventured downstairs. She looked around the home, glancing at Thor. "What happened to finding Loki?" Thor looked up from his staring, standing. "He's still a priority, but I've devoted some of my time to helping the man of Iron and his daughter. I saved her two nights ago from being murdered," She hummed. "So I've heard. Any idea on who they were?" Thor shook his head. "No, nothing at this moment. Where has she gone?"

Bella didn't know how to work a damn thing in the garage. "Um, JARVIS, can you pull up all of Tony's files on the arc reactor?" She asked, biting her lip. "Sure, turn your attention to the hologram," She did as instructed, awed by his technology. Why didn't everyone have this?

"You can move your hand, and swipe through the files," Bella tried it out, getting the hang of it in seconds. She swiped through the interesting 3-D map of what looked like a city. "JARVIS, what is this?" She turned it around, examining it. "That is a Three-Dimensional map of a city, designed by Howard Stark," Bella hummed. "Flip it over, and enlarge by 100%," She instructed, leaning closer. JARVIS did as told, and Bella gasped. "There's something here, can you run scans?" She asked, flipping through the files on the table. "I am able to do anything you ask. There seems to be an atomic structure hidden beneath the surface of the core." Bella glanced at it, and then down at the folders.

"Run a scan against the palladium core in his arc reactor," The hologram changed, and Bella leaned back from the table looking into more of his files. "Running. 5% complete," Bella let JARVIS do his thing, continuing with her observations.

"Miss Swan, I'd advise you to get down," Bella glanced at the hologram confused, finding that he was already on 45%. She looked past the hologram to see three men on the outside of Tony's garage with large guns in their hands. Bella quickly grabbed the folders ducking down behind the metal desk.

Her ears rang loudly as the bullets fired, and she scrunched herself against the desk screaming as the bullets whizzed past. One of the men landed not too far in front of her, groaning. He glanced at her and reached for his gun.

Bullets were still flying and she didn't know where to move. A hammer hit him in the gut, and Bella glanced up at Thor who reached his hand out, the hammer retracting back into his hand, his other jerking her up off the floor.

He pulled her to his side, tossing his hammer again, hitting the last man standing. Bella looked around at the destruction with a frown. "Are you alright?" He asked, his blue eyes dark with rage. Bella nodded, her hand going to arm. She winced, removing her hand. "Oh," She murmured, looking away from the blood. Thor looked down, reaching out to grab her arm. "You're hurt," He stated.

"I'll be fine. JARVIS, is that scan finished?" She asked, looking at the information it pulled up. "Yes. There seems to be an unknown element, that is much stronger than palladium. What is this for Ms. Swan?" Bella glanced at the element, suddenly finding her place in life. She didn't know how she knew what she knew, but science seemed to click somewhere in her brain.

"Something that may keep Tony alive," She answered, leaning against Thor. He led her out of the garage, and up the stairs, her eyes widening slightly at the men that laid on the floor, groaning in pain, or some knocked out cold.

"You too huh?" She asked looking around. Natasha nodded to her wound, "Exit wound?" Bella shrugged, shaking her head. "I don't think so," Natasha nodded, pulling out a phone. "Bruce, I need you at Stark's. Need your medical assistance," She hung up, looking at Bella. "Let's put some pressure on that," Bella nodded, following after her. Thor looked down at one of the men, lifting him up easily. "Who sent you?" He asked, glaring at him.

The man grunted out a response, wheezing. Thor shook the man hard, making his teeth rattle. "Shall I get the woman who beat you? She may be able to help you talk." The man's eyes widened and looked past Thor's shoulders. "I don't know, my boss sent us here," he replied, swallowing.

Thor raised a brow. "My question is still unanswered. Who is your boss?" The man shrugged, "We've never met him." Thor dropped him to the floor, leaving him there. He glanced up as Bruce walked through the door with a kit in his hand. "Well…Tony won't like this. Where's the girl?" Thor led him to the living room where Bella and Natasha were.

"Romanoff," He greeted, and Bella glanced between the two of them. "I thought your name was Natasha," She murmured, glancing at Bruce with a hesitant smile. "It is. Natasha Romanoff. This is Bruce, he somewhat of a doctor, he'll fix you up," Bruce took her place, opening the case, pulling out some equipment.

Bella looked away as he took out a pair of tweezers, focusing her attention on something else. She was worried, people were out to kill her, and her father was on a racecar track and dying as the days went on. "Blood aversion Bella?" Bruce asked. Bella nodded. "Yeah, so…you're all like superheroes?"

Bruce glanced at her, and Bella did the same, eyes narrowing as there was something different about him. "You can say that." Bella hummed. "So, Tony Stark, a…man in a robot suit, Thor, what was it? God? What are you?" She looked to Natasha and Bruce. "An agent of an organization called S.H.I.E.L.D. Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. We keep track of any threats, human or otherwise to the world," She looked to Bruce next, glancing at him with scrutiny. "You don't look like a badass agent," She smiled, easing the tense smile off his face. "Sadly I'm not…uh, I'm not exactly what you call human. I have a uh, _thing_ , an alter ego if we can call it that. Ever heard of the Hulk?"

Bella shook her head, opening her mouth to answer, but stopped as another voice rang out. "Probably hasn't, but I don't think she'd freak. What the hell happened to my house and who are these freaks?" Bella glanced around Bruce, glancing at Tony. "Hey. Had fun at the racetrack?" She frowned at the obvious wounds on his body.

"I guess not. What happened to you?" She asked, frowning at him. He moved towards herm finally able to see around Bruce. He stopped, looking her over. "What happened to me? Who the hell shot you? Who let you get shot?!" He gently grabbed her arm, looking at Bruce. "That's what I'm here for Tony. Romanoff called me, and considering what I know now, it's best she did. These men were here when I showed up," Tony turned his attention to Thor and Natasha, looking between them. "How the hell did they get in here?" Bruce went back to taking care of Bella's wound.

"Take it easy," Bruce warned, wrapping her arm in a sling. Bella nodded, and went to Tony. "I have something to show you," She said, tugging on his jacket. "I need top security in here," He muttered, following Bella down to the garage. "You're kidding me. Are these one of the bastards that shot you?" Bella nodded. "Yeah, don't know which one, but that's not it. Just a flesh wound. JARVIS, pull up the atomic structure I found. Tony, you won't believe what your father had hidden in these. I've tested it, or had JARVIS run a scan really, on what's in your arc reactor. Pepper let me take a look at your files and thought this was pretty interesting. Look,"

Bella had JARVIS pull up the scan. "It's some type of atomic structure, and this helps you construct it. I think this could fix your whole…dying situation. It doesn't look like anything I've ever seen. I know it counteracts the palladium, or could, if constructed properly… I don't really know, and I'm not a scientist or anything…." Bella continued to babble about her expertise in science and her own surprise, and Tony couldn't help but be proud. She really was just like him. "Could've fooled me kid. You're exactly right. I don't think it's ever been discovered. You found this jut looking through my files?" He asked, swiping through what she found. "How did I miss this?" He muttered to himself.

"So, can you do it? Can you make this?" She asks, coming to stand next to him. Tony nods. "It'll take some time, but yes. You could be a scientist. Bruce was one, more of a researcher now or whatever," He started moving things into folders, shaking his head as DUMMY suddenly shut on the fire extinguisher.

"What is Bruce? What is a HULK?" She asked, looking towards the garage stairs. "JARVIS, give me footage from 2008 of Hulk," JARVIS complied, and Bella looked at the holographic screen, tilting her head at the large green creature. "An accident in the lab changed his DNA, and there's one rule we all go by. Never make him angry. It's triggered by anger, and its like a large child in a sense. S.H.I.E.L.D wants him primarily to keep tabs, but the big guy is trying," Bella hummed in response. "So, what, you guys are like a team of superheroes? Are you the leader?"

Tony chuckled. "No. Well, I'm not sure. There's Loki, Thor's brother who is on the lose out here with an agent, and we need to find him. I guess we're a team. Maybe. I'm not the leader type. Cap is more suited in that department,"

"I'll explain it to you later. Why don't you have Thor escort you upstairs. Take it easy on the arm kid," Bella nodded, making her way out of the garage. Once she was away from sight, Tony sighed heavily. "J, I need you to show me how these guys got in, and I want to know everything you can find on Edward Cullen,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So as you know this story is taking place in Iron Man 2 and Avengers, I'm just combining them together, and Bella is the one who has discovered the element for Tony.


End file.
